Style of House?

bigporchJune 30, 2008

Can anyone offer any insight to the style of house this may be technically considered? My initial thought was an American Foursquare, but the gable dormers and the fact that this is a center hall with a fifth room at the top of the stairs adds to my uncertainty. I believe this was built around 1905. I haven't been able to find any photos of homes that are similar. Any links and/or comments would be appreciated.

See if you can get hold of a copy of "A Field Guild to American Houses" by Virginia and Lee McAlester.
Turn to the section on 'Eclectic Houses, Colonial Revival'. You will find good descriptions and history and pictures of houses much like yours,except their columns are Doric and Ionic, Colonial Revival, and yours are 'Arts and Crafts', or 'Craftsman'. You have rafter tails, they have corbels.
Then find the sections on 'Eclectic Houses,Prairie', and then 'Craftsman', and see details almost exactly like yours. And, for fun, leaf through the pages in between.

I have seen houses that were 'Spanish Eclectic' on the outside and English Edwardian ( Victorian/Arts and Crafts mix) on the inside. The pyramid roof with its strong eaves gives that solid, settled feeling of a foursquare. It was used extensively from the late 1890's to the mid 1920's on many styles of houses. A house can be described by its floor plan, its shape, and its decoration - all valid ways of seeing what's there, but each is only part of the story.

Finally, look for Alan Gowans, 'The Comfortable House', a book about your period with lots of pictures and descriptions.